A coalition of a dozen media organizations filed a lawsuit in December against the Department after it denied the media organizations' public records requests for details about more than 200 children under the department's watch. The coalition began after The Tennessean filed a request for the records and department officials failed to respond, prompting other media organizations to file the same request. The media organizations then joined together in filing the suit.
The coalition is made up of the following entities:
The department argues that the sensitive records regarding child fatalities require careful balancing between the privacy rights of children and families and the public's right to know.
Robb Harvey, partner at Waller, is the lead attorney for the coalition in this matter. Lauran Sturm, associate, is assisting.
Media coverage includes: